Toy.



W. J. THOMAS.

TOY.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 11, 1914.

Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

INVENTOR. WITNESSES: M/ J. 77/0/7175 ATTORNEYS.

HL NORRIS PETER; ,LL, rnL/IU-LIrHO WASHINGTON, D, C.

oration.

VTALTEB J. THOMAS, 015 MODESTQ'CALIFORNIA.

TOY.

antennae.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 9, 1915..

Application filed July 11, 1914. Serial No. 850,391.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, W ALTER J. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Modesto, Stanislaus county, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toys, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to toys which require skill in their operation.

The object of the invention is to provide a toy which requires skill and dexterity of hand and eye in accomplishing the desired result.

The invention possesses several advantageous features which will be set forth at length in the following description where I shall outline in full that form of the invention which T have selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification.

In the drawings I have shown only one specific form of my invention, but it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the form shown. It is also understood that by the claims succeeding the said description, I desire to cover the invention in whatever form it may be embodied.

Referring to said drawings: Figure 1 is a front view of the toy of my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the toy of my invention showing the ball seated in the cavity.

The toy of my invention consists of a stafi or rod 2 preferably formed of wood or similar material, and preferably formed cylindrical in shape. The rod 2 is provided at its upper portion with two oppositely directed inclined grooves 34, which in the present construction are formed as helical grooves. The grooves terminate intermediate the ends of the rod or staff and preferably at about the center, in a pocket or cavity 5. That portion of the rod or staff lying below the cavity serves as a handle 6 by which the toy is held and manipulated.

Attached to the upper end of the staff and preferably at the axis of the staff is a cord 7, to the lower end of which is attached a weight, preferably in the form of a metal ball 8. The cord is preferably attached to a small rotatable swivel 9 which is held rotatably in place by a pin or nail 12 placed at the axis of the stafi. The cord 7 is of such length that when it is properly disposed in either groove 34, the ball is in position to drop into the pocket. The pocket is slightly larger in diameter than the ball so that the ball may be seated in the pocket and the pocket is preferably inclined downward slightly to assist in retaining the ball. The grooves 8i, where they merge into the pocket, are preferably provided with V-shaped notches 13, into which the cord moves and is slightly held, so that the ball may be held somewhat in the pocket. At the upper end, the staff is provided with a curved face 14, the lower edge of which merges into the lower edges of the grooves, and the grooves at that point are provided with notches 15 so that the cord may be readily started in the groove.

The object of the game is to seat the ball in the pocket. The staff is held in the hand in a substantially vertical position, and is manipulated to cause the ball to swing around the staff. If the stafi' is properly manipulated, the cord will seat in the groove for its entire length and the ball will seat in the pocket. On account of the fact that as the cord winds around the staff, the

swinging radius of the ball becomes shorter, thereby increasing its angular velocity, considerable skill and practice is necessary to cause the ball to seat in the cavity. By providing oppositely directed grooves the toy may be manipulated by swinging the ball in either direction, thereby allowing the unwinding of the cord from one groove to swing the cord into the other groove, although the toy may be formed with a single groove when desired.

I claim:

1. A toy comprising a staff having an inclined groove therein terminating at its lower end in apocket, a cord attached to said stafi adapted to lie in the groove, and a weight on the end of the cord adapted to seat in the pocket.

2. A toy comprising a staff having a helical groove therein terminating at its lower end in a pocket, a cord attached to the upper end of said staff of substantially the same length as said groove, and a weight on the free end of the cord.

3. A toy comprising a staff having oppositely directed helical grooves therein terminating at their lower end in a pocket, a cord attached to the upper end of said staff adapted to lie in either of said grooves, and a weight on the end of the cord adapted to seat in the pocket.

4;. A. toy comprising a stafi having oppositeiy directed helical grooves therein terin line With the axis of the stafi', said cord 15 minating at their lower ends in a pocket, a being of substantially the same length as cord attached at one end to the upper end either groove, and a ball attached to the of the staff, and a Weight attached to the free end of the cord adapted to seat in the 5 free end of the cord, the cord being of such pocket When the cord is disposed in either length that When disposed in either groove. groove. 20 the Weight is in position to move into the In testimony whereof, I have hereunto pocket. set my hand at Modesto, California, this 1st 5. A toy colmprisirlig a stafi' llilaving oppoday of July, 1914.

1 sitely directe helica grooves t erein teriniv nating at their lower ends in a pocket, said WALTER IHOMAS' grooves being provided With notches at In presence of their juncture With the pocket, a cord piv- C. R. ZAcHAnIAs, otally attached to the upper end of the staif L. E. BITHER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. 

